📏 Buying guide: what TV size to choose in 2026

Screen size remains one of the most poorly judged decisions when buying a TV — too often based on instinct rather than a simple calculation. This guide explains how to get it right.

Viewing distance, the starting point

The ideal TV size depends above all on the distance between the screen and the sofa, far more than on the room's size itself. The shorter the viewing distance, the more a larger screen makes sense to fully enjoy the resolution without making out individual pixels.

A simple rule of thumb

A commonly used rule is to divide the viewing distance in centimeters by two to get an approximate screen size in inches. For a sofa positioned 3 meters from the screen, that points toward a format close to 65 to 75 inches for 4K content.

How resolution affects this calculation

4K content lets you sit closer to a large screen without making out pixel structure, unlike Full HD content, which requires keeping more distance. Choosing the size should therefore also account for the resolution of the content you actually watch day to day.

Field of view, an often-forgotten criterion

Beyond simple readability, a larger screen occupies a bigger portion of the field of view, reinforcing the sense of immersion — a factor particularly sought after for movies or sports, less decisive for use mainly focused on news or background TV.

In summary

The right TV size is calculated first from the actual viewing distance, not from the room's size. A screen too small for that distance wastes the potential of 4K content, while a screen too large for a compact room can become uncomfortable to use rather than immersive.